Charlotte, NC — Trolley Barn May Be Saved

Rail Transit Online – June 2003

An historic streetcar
barn, built in 1914 and the scene of a bloody confrontation between strikers
and police a few years later, may end up resuming its original role. The
Mecklenburg County commission on May 20 authorized negotiations to buy the
South End structure from Duke Energy's Crescent Resources for up to $1.5
million, money which would come from the county's land bond fund. The Bland
Street building would then be restored to house operations of heritage
trolleys once the local transit system obtains cars to operate along a
nearly complete two-mile (3.2 km) section of line between the South End and
Uptown that will be part of a light rail route south to just outside of
Pineville. The nonprofit Charlotte Trolley Inc. was to have run the service
using historic streetcars, all of which are over 70 years old and maintained
by volunteers. But it was found they are too delicate and lack sufficient
safety gear to provide all-day service (see RTOL, Apr. 2003). A proposal
has been made to lease a pair of Gomaco replica Birney cars from Little
Rock’s River Rail project, which is still under construction, giving
Charlotte time to have its own cars built. In August 1919, motormen
striking for higher pay and union recognition rallied at the trolley barn.
The demonstration was cut short when police opened fire on the crowd,
killing five workers and wounding at least 12 others.